Rod handling device



war f?" E. D. DAHLMAN 2,593,732

ROD HANDLING DEVICE A ril 22, 1952 Filed Feb. 15, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 22,1952 E. D. DAHLMAN 2,593,732

ROD HANDLING DEVICE Filed Feb. 15, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 22, 1952 E. D. DAHLMAN 4 ROD HANDLING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 15, 1947 Patented Apr. 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFl-CE.

ROD HANDLING DEVICE Eben D. Dahlman, Grandy, Minn.

Application February 15, 1947, Serial No. 728,839

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a rod handling device used in connection with a machine for making certain link rods. While. said rods may have various uses, one use thereof is for forming a chain used to move, elevate and sort or grade potatoes or other articles in a. digging or picking machine. Such rods have a rectilinear central portion and have their ends bent inwardly, then bent at right angles to form open loops, said loops to be inter-engaged so that the rods will form a chain or grating.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple, efiicient and automatic rod handling machine.

It is another object of the invention to provide a rod handling device comprising, a guideway for said rods, a pair of laterally spaced chains having means for supporting and carrying said rods, means for selecting rods from said guideway and delivering the same to said means on said chains,

dies to which the rods are delivered by said chains, a second pair of chains for receiving the bent rods and means for delivering the rods from said dies to said second pair of chains so that each rod delivered interengages with the preceding rod on said last mentioned chains, said chains and two last mentioned means being driven in synchronism.

It is still further an object of the invention to provide a device having means for progressing rods, bending the ends of said rods to form hooks at the ends thereof, a guideway along which said rods are moved and from which they drop singly by gravity, and a conveyor adapted to receive and support said rods having a top run adjacent to and extending away from said guideway, said conveyor being so disposed relatively tosaid uideway and intermittently moved a sufficient distance so that each rod drops into connected engagement with the rod previously dropped onto said conveyor.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation showing a major portion of the device;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation showing the remaining portion of said device;

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of the rod selecting means of a second and preferred em-- bodiment of Figs. 1 and 2 and shown on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on line. 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a partial view inside elevation of certain. parts; shown on an enlarged scale; and

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Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a rod feeding member, shown on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings, a machine is shown comprising allow or other support ID from which extend. laterally spaced pairs of vertical frame members II and I2 which support adjacent their upper ends horizontal frame members I3, I4 and .IS. A guideway I6 is provided for the rods I1 which are to be handled and bent. Guideway I6 comprises laterally spaced downwardly inclined members I-6a supported on frame members I5a upstanding from the outer ends of frame members I5. Members Ifib overlie members Ilia so that the rods Il move between members Mia and iii?) in a single layer, said rods being substantially in engagement. Shafts I9 and are journaled in suitable bearings in frame members I3, which shafts have secured thereto sprockets 2i, there being a sprocket 2| adjacent each end of each shaft I9 and 20. Endless chains 22 run over the sprockets 2I respectively and the lengths of said. chains carry blocks 23 having spaces therebetween adapted to receive rods ll. Shaft I 9 has secured thereto inwardly of frame members lfic, feeding wheels 25. Wheels 25 have hubs and are secured to shaft I9 in any suitable manner as by the .set screws 26. One of the Wheels 25 is shown in Fig. 7 and it will be seen that said wheels are in the form of disks which have quite a number of recesses 25a in their peripheries, said recesses being substantially semi-cylindrical in form. As shown in Fig. 6, the peripheries of wheels 25 move close to the lower ends of members Ilia and Ifib so that the lowermost rod IT in. the guideway I6 can thus move by gravity into the recesses 25a which come into position to receive: said rod. The recesses 25a are of a depth only slightly greater than the diameter of one of the rods I! so that a rod II substantially fills the recess 25a and the adjacent rod in said guideway is held in position engagin the rod I! in said recess. Shafts I9 and 20 are intermittently rotated and for this purpose a sprocket 28 is secured. to shaft 20 intermediate the ends thereof over which sprocket runs an endless chain 30. Chain 30 also runs over a sprocket 3i secured to a. shaft 32 journaled in the bearing hubs of brackets 33 secured to suitable base members 34 by headed and nutted bolts 35. Base member 34 rests upon support II) and may be secured in position in any suitable manner, as by headed bolts 36. A ratchet wheel 38 is secured to shaft 32 arranged to be engaged by a pawl 39. Pawl 39 is pivoted to an arm 40 journaled on shaft 32 and to the lower end of which, as shown in Fig.

1, is secured a link 42. Link 42 is pivotally connected bya pin 44 to a disk 45 secured to the low speed shaft46a of a speed reducing device 46. A. motor 48 is secured to support In in any suitable manner; as by headed bolts 49, which motor has a driving pulley 48a connected by a belt 58 to a pulley 5I in turn connected to the high speed shaft 46b of the speed reducing device 46. It will be seen that when motor 48 is operated, shafts 49b and 46a will be rotated and that pin 44 which is spaced radially from shaft 46a will reciprocate link 42, thus oscillating arm 49. Pawl 39 in one oscillation of arm 48 will thus rotate ratchet wheel 38 and thus rotate shaft 32 intermittently. This will through chain intermittently rotate shaft 29 and thus move chains 22 intermittently. The chains are in each movement moved a distance equal to the distance between the center lines of adjacent recesses between blocks 23. A chain tensioning device for chain 30 is shown comprising a roller 53 engaging the underside of the top run of chain 3i),- said roller having trunnions at its end journaled in members 54 movable on spaced rods 55, which members 54 are urged upwardly by tensile coiled springs 56. A chain tensioning device is also shown for the chains 22, which device comprises a roller 58 extending across over the bottom runs of chains 22 and carried in a vertically movable member 59 slidable on laterally spaced downwardly extending members 60 secured to frame members I3. Members 59 and a roller 58 are urged downwardly by tensile coiled springs 6|.

The present machine is an improvement on that shown in applicants Patent No. 2,217,333, granted October 8, 1940.

A frame structure 65 upstands from support ID at the end of frame members I3 opposite guideway I6. The rods H, which are delivered to chains 22 by the disk wheels 25, are intermittently moved along the top runs of the chains 22, said rods projecting beyond said chains, as shown in Fig. 5. Heating means "or furnaces 66 are disposed at the sides of chains 22 so that the projecting ends or rods I1 pass through openings 69a in said furnaces, as shown in Fig. 5. The rods I! are intermittently discharged from the ends of chains 22 and pass down slide members 61 to bending dies 98. The bending dies 68 are the same as shown and described in the above identified patent and will not be specifically described herein. A portion of the operating means for said dies is showncomprising members 10, a spring II and arms 12, and a lever I3 to which is attached a spring I4. A link 15 is connected to a slide 16 and also--to a swinging lever I1 pivoted in a small bracket 18 secured to a horizontal member on frame 65. A gear 19 is secured to a shaft 80 journaled in suitable hearings on frame 65, which shaft carries a cam plate 8I which in turn carries a cam roller 82. Cam roller 82 is adapted to engage a shoulder 13a on lever I3 and said cam plate carries a stop lug 83. Cam plate 8I also carries a lug 84 through which is threaded a headed screw 85. Screw 85 engages and moves a block 89, which block is movable in a slot 8Ia in cam plate 8|. Gear I9 is driven by a pinion 81 secured to a shaft 88. These parts operate just as the corresponding parts in said patent and further description of them will not be given. Shaft 88 may be driven as disclosed in said patent. A pair of rod moving arms 90 are secured to the shaft 12a on which arm 12 is secured. The rods discharged from the chains 22 moved down slide members 61 to the dies 68. Guide members 92 are secured in laterally spaced relation to the top horizontal member of frame 65 above which are other curved guide members 93 supported on brackets 94 also secured to the top horizontal member of frame 55. The guide members 93 have end portions 9311 which extend parallel to and some distance above guide members 51. The rods are delivered in position to be operated on by the dies, which operation is identical to that described in the above identified patent. Arms then move the bent rod along the guide member 92 and between the same and the portion of member 93 parallel thereto so that the bent-rod I'Ia is dropped upon a pair of chains 95 which are laterally spaced a suitable distance. The bent rod Ila which has had its end bent reversely and at right anglesdrops directly onto the previously delivered bent rod and inter-engages therewith so that a chain or grating Ilb is formed by said bent rods, which chain or grating is supported upon and moved along by the chains 95. The chains 95 are intermittently moved in synchronism with chains 22. Chains 95 move over sprockets 96 secured to a shaft 91 journaled in suitable spaced bearings secured to the top horizontal member of frame 85. Chains 95 also move around sprockets 98 secured to a shaft 99 journaled in suitable brackets I89 secured to the horizontal member 85a. forming an extended portion of frame 95, the same being supported at one end upon an angle bracket I0! secured to one side of a vertical member of frame 65 and supported adjacent its other end by vertical members 95b. Shaft 99 has secured thereto a ratchet wheel I93 arranged to be engaged by a pawl I04 pivotally carried upon an arm I05, which arm is journaled on shaft 99 and projects downwardly, the same having formed therein a plurality of holes a. A link rod I96 is adapted to have one end disposed in any one of the holes I050: and is pivotally connected at its other end to a pin I81 carried on a disk I98 secured to the outer end of shaft 80.

- In the operation of the device so far described motor 48 will be driven and this will drive belt 59 and pulley 5I. The speed reducing device 46 will greatly reduce the speed from that of the motor so that shaft 46a will be driven at said reduced speed. Link 42 Will be reciprocated thus oscillating arm 49 and this will operate pawl 39 in each oscillation to move ratchet wheel 38 one step. This will intermittently drive chain 30 which will in turn intermittently ro-- tate shaft 29 and thus intermittently move chains 22. Shaft I9 will be intermittently rotated and recesses in wheels 25 will intermittently come into position to receive the lowermost rod IT in guideway I8. The rod which moves into said recesses 25a will upon the next movement of shaft I9 be moved away from guideway I6 and another pair of recesses will be brought into alinement withguideway I9. The rod in said recesses will be moved upwardly and delivered by wheels 25 into alined recesses between the blocks 23 on chains 22. The rods are thus delivered to chains 22 and are intermittently moved therewith through the furnaces 66 so that the projecting ends are properly heated. The rods are then delivered between members 6! and 93 and come into position to be operated on by dies 68. The dies 68 will be operated in synchronism with the movements of chains 22. As soon as a rod is delivered from chains 22 the dies will operate thereon to bend the ends, as described in the abovementioned patent. Arms 99 will then be operated and the bent rod will be swung by said arms along member 92 and delivered directly to the assembled rods on chains 95. Chains 95 will be moved in synchronism with chains 22 and in synchronism with the movements of the dies and arms 90 by operation of ratchet I03, pawl I04 and arm I05, which latter is operated through link I06. Link I06 is operated in each revolution of shaft 80 so that it is in synchronism with the operation of the dies. The desired movement on chains 95 can be secured by disposing the end of link I06 in the proper hole l05a.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a structure which is novel and very efficient for handling the rods. It is only necessary to place the rods on the lower members [6a and they move downwardly by gravity. The operation of the machine is thus entirely automatic. Rods are successively delivered to the chains 22 and then delivered to the dies 68. The dies then operate as set forth in said mentioned patent and the rods are then delivered directly to the chains 95. It will be seen that the bent rods are not delivered and turned, as shown in said patent. The machine is thus greatly simplified over that shown in said patent. The manufacture of the bent rods and the handling thereof is greatly expedited and the number of rods made in a given time is greatly increased. The machine has been amply demonstrated in actual practice, found to be very successful and efficient and commercial production thereof has been commenced.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicant's invention, which generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine having means for singly feeding, conveying and bending the ends of elongated rods into open ended loops, said loops being disposed in planes substantially at right angles to the axes of said rods, the combination of a guideway to which said bent rods are delivered, a conveyor adapted to receive and support said rods having a top run disposed adjacent to and extending away from said guideway, means for intermittently moving said conveyor to move said run away from said guideway and a swinging arm for moving said bent rods along said guideway and delivering them in position to drop by gravity with the open ends of said loops directed downwardly, said conveyor being so disposed relatively to said guideway and moved a sufiicient distance in each step of its movement so that each rod drops directly in one position to bring its ends into connected engagement respectively with the ends of the rod previously dropped onto said conveyor.

2. In a machine having means for singly feeding, conveying and bending the ends of elongated rods into open ended loops, said loops being disposed in planes substantially at right angles to the axes of said rods, the combination of a guideway having an arcuate supporting portion for said rods disposed in a substantially vertical plane, said portion having a vertical portion at the delivery end of said guideway, a conveyor having a top run disposed adjacent to and adapted to move away from said vertical portion, means for intermittently moving said conveyor and a swinging arm for successively moving said rods along said guideway on said arcuate portion and delivering the same to move along said vertical portion by gravity with the open ends of said loops directed downwardly, said conveyor being so disposed relatively to said guideway and moved a sufficient distance in each step of its movement so that said rods drop directly in one position to bring their ends into connected engagement respectively with the ends of the rod previously dropped on the said conveyor.

EBEN D. DAHLMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 191,085 Thompson May 22, 1877 291,695 Adt Jan. 8, 1884 593,532 Campbell Nov. 9, 1897 804,170 Prince Nov. 7, 1905 976,483 Mitchell Nov. 22, 1910 1,106,272 Ayres -4. Aug. 4, 1914 1,122,365 Burch Dec. 29, 1914 1,206,398 Augensen Nov. 28, 1916 1,422,600 Molins July 11, 1922 1,467,409 Wilkinson Sept. 11, 1923 1,522,785 Lister Jan. 13, 1925 1,556,438 Hanson Oct. 6, 1925 1,604,464 McNabb Oct. 26, 1926 1,605,535 Foisy Nov. 2, 1926 1,818,475 Gray Aug. 11, 1931 1,833,616 Nelson Nov. 24, 1931 1,877,934 Milbrath Sept. 20, 1932 2,217,333 Dahlman Oct. 8, 1940 2,308,027 Robinson Jan. 12, 1943 

